Original subtitles

Ttolbok.

You have to come.

Dam... Dam is alive?

She's So-i?

Why is he here?

Dam.

Dam.

Dam!

Dam!

Dam!

To me,

my father was everything.

But then...

I was suddenly all alone.

That scared me.

A world that could thoughtlessly kill

my innocent father

truly frightened me.

Dam.

You're him?

You're...

really Ttolbok?

Dam.

Are you...

Are you really Dam?

What? Kang Chae-yun did?

-Just now? -Yes.

About 15 minutes ago, he attacked the palace guards and ran off.

Jeong Deuk-ryong is chasing him with a group of soldiers.

He will contact us soon.

If that happened 15 minutes ago,

that was around 1 a.m.

There's a high possibility that he decoded the Gyeeonsan Mountain riddle.

That means So-i has also...

You must find him.

The palace guards?

The palace guards are chasing Kang Chae-yun?

-Why? -I do not know.

But I put a tail on them.

You lost So-i?

What are you talking about?

She suddenly jumped off the cliff. They immediately searched for her,

and found a ribbon

that seems to belong to So-i near Hwasa River.

How can you fail to handle a mere girl like her?

Sir.

Send out the Jeongmu Brigade.

You must...

find her.

I will make that happen.

Mak-su.

What brings you here?

The palace guards are after Kang Chae-yun.

He's hiding in this mountain.

Kang Chae-yun?

Are you...

really Ttolbok?

Are you really?

Dam.

Why can't you speak?

What happened?

Why can't you speak?

Why not?

Are you...

Are you really unable to speak?

Is it...

because of that horrible day?

Right.

Uncle Geol-sang died right before your eyes.

Then you saw your friends die at such a young age.

Then what?

Did something else happen?

What is it?

What else happened to you, Dam?

You don't even...

remember?

Dam.

What happened to you

that you're afraid to sleep?

Guilt is a really scary thing.

She said her entire family died...

because she showed off.

You can't read, can you?

It's all your fault.

If you had read it right, we wouldn't have ended up here.

Everyone will die because of your mistake!

It was because of you.

Ttolbok.

When I woke up...

I was at Her Majesty's place.

I woke up...

from a dream in which you were yelling at me.

After that,

I couldn't speak anymore.

You have...

no idea.

You have no idea...

how sorry I felt...

and how much I hated you.

You can't even imagine.

Kang Chae-yun is definitely in this mountain.

Go back to the palace, report this incident,

and get reinforcements. Understood?

Yes.

Has she been living with that

on her mind for all this time?

Was her life a living hell worse than mine?

It's okay.

I'm glad you're alive.

You paid me back with that.

Ttol...

Your Majesty.

It's Myeongeumsan Mountain.

Myeongeumsan Mountain?

Isn't that near Hanjitgol village,

where Lord Sim On used to live?

Yes, it looks like Chae-yun made a move after seeing So-i's riddle.

Mobilize the entire Palace Guard force

and search the mountain.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Wait.

What do you want?

Let's put an end to this. Give me the letter of Secret Roots,

Kang Chae-yun.

Or should I say,

Ttolbok?

First, let her go.

Slowly walk over

in that posture.

I told you to let her go first.

Isn't this...

what you need?

Go give this to them.

Yes.

Why are you doing this to me?

You got what you wanted.

Let go...

Let go of her!

Someone who has seen that...

cannot be left alive.

You shouldn't have

ever gotten involved in the first place.

Ttolbok!

And now,

let's end this.

No!

The right side.

Ttolbok.

Above.

Myobang!

MYOBANG: 4 O'CLOCK

Right under chukbang!

CHUKBANG: 1 O'CLOCK

Kill her first.

Yes.

Mu-hyul.

They are traitors who broke the law of the land!

Arrest every single one of them!

LUCK

A SECRET SOCIETY CREATED TO KEEP THE KING IN CHECK

It's almost time. What do we do?

You have to get going.

Sir.

Get him!

What should I do?

What do I say?

Or should I

take my chance right here?

Your...

Your Majesty.

Your voice...

Can you speak now?

Yes.

Your Majesty.

I'm glad.

I am...

so glad.

Ttolbok.

Your Majesty.

This is...

all thanks to you.

Was it...

because of a broken heart, after all?

Your Majesty, while I was investigating the Secret Roots,

I received an urgent tip, so I came here without making a report--

Ttolbok.

I am sorry...

about your father.

Back then, when I acted for the greater good,

this young boy

said to me

that it was all bullshit.

That boy is Kang Chae-yun.

His Majesty already knew.

Even if you were to forgive me,

it could never be forgotten.

Even if anyone told you to forget,

you could never escape the agony.

I always...

wanted to...

tell you

that I am truly sorry.

You probably want to kill me.

After your father passed away,

the only thing left for you to do must have been...

to end my life.

However,

you are now...

left with a different life.

You have So-i.

No.

You have Dam with you.

Move far away from here with So-i.

Your Majesty.

And live a new life.

My life?

A new life...

with Dam?

You...

won't be losing anything.

You can...

live your new life, and I can...

live a little longer...

to go further down my path.

However,

you get Dam,

while I...

lose So-i.

Go.

Your Majesty.

Live well.

This is...

a Royal Command.

How come so many people in your town died from the epidemic?

I have committed a mortal sin!

According to Hyangyakchaechwiwolryeong,

you must use green bamboo and Paniculate swallowwort

for this epidemic that causes fever and nausea.

It said those can stop this epidemic.

-You have not fulfilled your duties! -Your Majesty.

I put up a notice and told the people as you ordered.

However, they did not follow the instructions...

This is absolutely pathetic!

Your Majesty, you cannot go any further. The place is raging with an epidemic.

-Your Majesty, it's too dangerous... -Move aside!

Your Majesty!

Didn't you see this notice?

What?

Didn't you see this notice...

telling you to prepare for an epidemic?

I can't read. What good would that notice do?

Is that why...

Is that why all these people died?

Did I tell you to study the Confucian Classics

or to memorize the Seven Chinese Classics?

You just needed to know 2,000 characters.

No, even 1,000 characters would have been enough.

If you had, these children wouldn't have died like this.

Why did you not learn to read?

Learn 1,000 characters?

I wake up every day before dawn

and work all day long, then fall asleep exhausted.

When would I have time to learn 1,000 characters?

I sleep less than two hours a day because I'm busy working.

I barely get two hours of sleep!

So why don't you people...

do anything for your own sake?

We don't even know how to read.

How can we do anything for ourselves?

Then...

are you proud...

that you don't know how to read?

-Please have mercy. -My lord.

-Please have mercy. -Have mercy.

-Spare our lives. -My lord, please.

-My lord. -Please save us.

-Please spare our lives. -My lord.

Spare us.

Shut up, all of you!

Do you think I'm here to kill you?

Why do you...

keep asking me to spare your lives?

Spare you?

Spare?

Did I do something in vain again?

Everything was in vain.

Your Majesty, no.

Your Majesty, you didn't fail.

After the Straight Talk on Farming was created and distributed,

we've been getting more crops and people's lives have been enriched.

You are talking exactly like one of those politicians.

Do you only look at the forest?

Can't you see the trees?

Can't you see

how each of the trees are rotting in that abundant forest?

Darn it.

Everyone else, get out.

Why do you have that look on your face?

You haven't changed at all

after this whole time.

Is your heart completely shut tight?

Why won't you open up?

I asked for your understanding and for your forgiveness.

And I am the king of this country.

I explained everything to you in detail.

I sent a secret order...

to save your people, but the letter got switched.

I wasn't trying to kill your people.

I can

say confidently in front of anyone

that I have tried

as much as I could.

But nothing has changed.

Both you and the world...

would not change.

Is it entirely my responsibility

that your life is like this?

Is it entirely my fault that your life

is like this?

No.

You

do not do anything

for your own life.

You people are

just throwing a fit against the world like three-year-olds.

Isn't that so?

Then say something.

Say something! Speak!

Are you proud...

that you can't speak?

Good for you.

IF THEY ARE BABIES, YOU MUST RAISE THEM

You will write down your opinion with that from this moment on.

Tell me what you think about what I'm about to tell you.

I am...

going to make an alphabet...

that is easy to learn.

An alphabet easy enough...

so that anyone can learn it.

What do you think?

You told me to raise the babies.

Letters that are so easy...

that even an idiot can learn them.

I am going to make such letters.

What do you think?

SHI, THAT IS PROPER

Goyangi, cat.

Gae, dog.

Gireum, oil.

Golmu, thimble. Gudeogi, maggot.

We must find all Chinese characters that have the same initial sound as these.

Yes, Your Majesty.

I'm sure there are thousands of characters that have the same initial sound.

When are we going to find every single one?

We have a long way to go.

We will do this as quickly as we can.

What about this one?

This is gang, river.

I see.

There are 3,234 Chinese characters...

that begin with the same sound as goyangi, cat.

Your Majesty.

Do you truly have the tens of thousands of characters in your head?

Your Majesty,

this is going to be much easier than we thought.

She's much better than 100 of you put together.

Your Majesty.

You'll get only one 100th of the stipend that So-i gets from now on.

But Your Majesty...

It's...

Did you just smile?

Do you think I'm funny?

I'm the king.

If you want your payment in full,

you'll have to work harder.

SHI, THAT IS PROPER

My lord.

It's almost time. We have to go.

Is everything ready?

Yes, I placed our warriors around the meeting place.

I also had a talk with the Royal Investigation Bureau.

Contact the Royal Investigation Bureau

if he doesn't have the letter of Secret Roots.

But if he does have it,

you must kill

Jeong Gi-jun.

LEADER

It's almost time.

But I guess the Leader is running late.

The time has passed already.

Why isn't he showing up?

Does this mean

he doesn't have the letter of Secret Roots, after all?

We already told the Leader what we think.

If he doesn't show up...

When Councilor Yi gives you a sign,

tell Lord Seong Hyeong-jun of the Royal Investigation Bureau

-to surround this mountain. -Yes.

Please show us the letter of Secret Roots.

Let me ask you first.

Why did you...

become a part of Secret Roots from the beginning?

Every single one of you here...

When you decided to become...

a part of Secret Roots,

did you not agree with Lord Sambong's great cause

to make Joseon into a land of scholars

when it was first established?

This is not a difficult question.

Have your purpose and idealism changed

from the time when you joined the Secret Roots?

That's what I'm asking.

You don't have the letter of Secret Roots,

Jeong Gi-jun.

The great cause

that I had in my heart as well as all of us here

is in that letter,

the letter of Secret Roots.

Do you have the letter of Secret Roots,

or do you not, sir?

Show us.

If you have the letter of Secret Roots,

there is no reason for you to not show it to us.

He's right.

Show us.

Show us.

-Show us. -Show us.

Give us an answer, Leader.

Do you have...

the great will of Lord Sambong?

Did you just ask me if I have the great will of Lord Sambong...

or not?

Here it is.

The great cause that you've been looking for.

The pledge of loyalty

that you all have given to Lord Sambong!

The purpose of Secret Roots?

The will of Lord Sambong?

The great cause?

To you, this piece of cloth,

this compact under your signatures you have signed yourself

is the great cause, isn't it?

"Will I be branded as a rebel?

How will I be remembered in history?"

Isn't your vanity and your safety

more important than Lord Sambong's will to you?

Isn't that so, Yi Sin-jeok?

Did you do anything as a member...

other than keep your post as a core member of the Royal Court?

The first thing you had to do as a chancellor of this country was...

to keep the king in check by using the Royal Lecture,

historians, and the State Council, which Lord Sambong has established.

But while the king

made a mockery out of the Royal Lecture

by creating the Hall of Worthies

and secretly plotted something

that even the historians didn't know of, you didn't do anything.

Also,

the chancellor must always have...

the right to implement policies.

But you have handed it over to the king,

who armed himself with the logic of scholars of the Hall of Worthies.

Lord Sambong said chancellors are

the discipline of this world and political power

must always belong to the chancellors.

But you have destroyed his will.

You have created...

Yi Do as he is today.

How will you...

ever pay for your sin?

I don't care what your will is.

But as long as you pledged your loyalty here,

you must follow

the will of the Secret Roots...

and me.

Your Majesty, is this true?

How could you let So-i go?

What about Haerye? Without her, Haerye will be--

We can make it again...

starting now.

Ttolbok.

Take care of Dam.

Please look after Dam.

Royal Guard Kang Chae-yun is Ttolbok?

Yes.

I saw him myself.

What a twist of fate.

You must be hungry.

What is this?

I couldn't find extra plates,

so I brought the entire jar.

Did you steal this?

Well, I did.

Do you think I made these?

All right.

Eat up.

What about you?

Me?

I can just eat like this.

Eat up. Come on.

The chestnuts were tiny.

I guess it fell down before it got ripe.

It won't taste that great. Eat up.

So-i.

Did you

finally create the vowels?

I can tell by your eyes

and by your voice.

If you put it like this,

I have no words to go against that.

How do you always see right through me?

Gosh, I can't do this anymore!

If it looks bad to you,

tell me right away.

No.

My heart might stop...

while you write that down.

If it looks horrible to you,

just get up and walk out.

Vowels don't have anything to do

with the vocal organs anyway, right?

So I thought

if the vowels are not related to them anyway,

it would be great

to have the letters embody the laws of nature

and the root of the universe.

To be honest,

I put my heart

into this.

The deities...

of the sky and land,

have mercy...

on the people of the land.

I have turned...

man, earth, and the heavens,

the three elements, into these characters.

If we use these as the original form of the vowels,

and have them represent a, eu, and i...

Yes, right.

So-i, what is this?

It's as if I'm looking at a stream.

I see!

A.

Eo.

O. U.

It works like this.

Wait a second.

Look.

If we do this,

they become ya, yeo, yo, and yu.

This is it!

This is great. Isn't it?

Above all, this is easy.

This is what I've been looking for.

I've been...

struggling to solve this for over five years.

But it took me...

less than 15 minutes

after working with you.

Goodness.

What?

Dam.

Do you know what I was just thinking?

Until this day,

I only thought about...

how I would kill him...

or what I would use to kill him.

-But-- -Let's go back.

No.

I have to go back...

to the palace.

What do you mean?

I still have something I must do.

Something you must do?

Yes.

The great work.

What great work?

The great work of His Majesty.

And...

my great work.

So are you saying...

that His Majesty's great work...

is also yours?

Yes.

Why?

What happened?

What does the great work of men in power have anything to do with us?

Do you think you're also someone significant...

because you've lived with someone significant for so long?

Is that it?

Dam.

Dam.

Get a hold of yourself.

You and I may have changed our status,

but we're still slaves, who are the lowest

in Joseon.

If those men in power...

tell us to die for their work, we have to die because we're slaves, Dam.

So what does their great work have anything to do with us?

That's why it means something to us.

It means something to us...

because those men in power killed my father and your father.

We must keep vigil

and see if the great work of those men in power

will kill us or save us.

-What? -Let's go.

You have to come too.

You have to be

a part of this work too.

What is it?

What on earth is this great work?

It's evident that these letters are obviously easy to read and write.

Yes. However,

why won't you show us Haerye, which has the principle behind the letters?

Well...

It'll take me some time.

It's an alphabet.

-An alphabet? -Yes.

An alphabet...

made after the sounds of people that they can easily read and write.

I am a part in creating them.

Dam.

Do you think that happened to us because we couldn't read?

Or did the king offer to make an alphabet because you started having nightmares

after I yelled at you for not knowing how to read?

-It's not like that. -If we knew how to read,

you really think it wouldn't have been so?

Even if we knew how to read, they would have done the same thing.

It would have happened one way or the other way, you idiot.

At the very least,

I would have known...

that the court lady was lying.

And I...

wouldn't have...

let your father go

like that.

The king is using those feelings you have.

They always use you like that and abandon you after they are done!

His Majesty is a wise king.

"A wise king"?

"A wise king"?

That's what drives me crazy.

The whole world says that he's a great king...

and a wise king. They say this is a reign of peace.

Everyone else is having a great life in this world that he has created.

Everyone but me.

That drives me completely crazy.

Do you think I haven't heard people say that in the north?

"His Majesty always does great things for his people.

Joseon is peaceful now!"

Hear me out.

What happened on that night was a misunderstanding. His Majesty--

Enough.

Fine.

Let's say that I misunderstood him.

Just as His Majesty has saved you,

let's say that he didn't mean for that to happen.

Let's say that I understand His Majesty.

Then what about...

my father?

If I understand His Majesty,

that makes my father...

It makes my father's life so pitiful.

And what about me?

Don't you feel sorry for my life?

And you.

You should take pity on me, my father, and yours as well.

Who do you think you are? You're just one of many ordinary people.

Why do you expect me to ignore my father's death

because of whatever the hell this great work is supposed to be?

Why aren't you taking my side?

Why are you taking the king's side?

I am...

not taking the king's side.

Just like how you bet your life...

on killing the king,

I bet my life on completing the alphabet.

I believed that it was...

how I could atone for...

the sins I committed...

to my late father,

for leaving your father to die,

and you, who I thought was dead.

Then when I acted for the greater good,

this young boy

said to me

that it was all bullshit.

That boy is Kang Chae-yun.

He is the one I fear the most,

but the one I can trust the most as well.

Could he be

the last judge you were referring to?

That's right.

Father!

Was this...

what you wanted to tell me...

before you died?

His Majesty is a wise king.

Why did you come back?

I came to do my job.

I told you to leave.

This work has nothing to do with you anymore.

This has always been my job...

from the beginning.

I will finish this.

And the second judge will be here very soon.

Didn't you say you would hold back, wait,

and stay patient...

to persuade him even if it takes time?

Your Majesty.

If Kang Chae-yun returns to the palace...

So-i came back to the palace...

after you, Your Majesty.

I can already see...

-how he would feel. So I will-- -Empty the path...

for him to get here.

Pardon?

From Gwanghwamun Gate to Geunjeongjeon Hall.

And from Sajeongjeon Hall to Gangnyeongjeon Hall.

Withdraw all palace guards, special attendant guards, and royal guards...

within those areas.

I cannot do that, Your Majesty.

The second judge is...

coming right now.

Your Majesty.

I said I would hold back, wait, and be patient to persuade him.

She's saying I have to do just that.

She is telling me to persuade the man...

who is the furthest away from me.

She's telling me...

to settle this once and for all.

What she did is very cheeky.

But it also makes me feel thrilled.

It thrills me.

I will slay them and slay some more.

Then I will be slain to my death.

Yes, this is very much like Ttolbok.

GWANGHWAMUN GATE

Yi Do.

You are here.

Subtitle translation by Eun-sook Yoon